From high-tension first-person shooters and ruthless rogue-lite RPGs, action dominates the gaming landscape. Video games filled with adrenaline-pumping action come in no short supply for those seeking some bombastic escapism.
However, such games are not always beginner-friendly, nor do they cater to casual players with no expensive PC setup or next-generation console.
Incidentally, the rise of mobile gaming has helped democratize the medium across broader demographics, with chill games appealing to players who simply crave a serene virtual break. So, let’s explore four stress-relieving mobile games worth your while.
Townscaper
City-builders can be quite daunting to try, with many titles blending stressful traffic management with complicated building systems. Townscaper takes the opposite approach, as it involves no concrete objectives or narrative.
This low-stress sandbox game is more of a building toy than a traditional game in the words of its very creator, independent dev Oskar Stålberg. Interestingly, this radically casual title inspired a new wave of copycats on mobile, such as Tiny Glade and Monterona.
Townscape provides great creative freedom to players willing to set up their dream city with little constraint. Placing each block at your whim, you can breathe life into whimsical sky cities or colourful hamlets.
The resulting cityscapes, adorned with quaint churches, soaring cathedrals, and winding streets full of cute houses with lush backyards, exude a homely and organic charm, contrasting with the more generic American-style cities found in realistic city-builders such as Cities: Skylines.
Unpacking
Moving houses can be stressful, but unboxing items can also be healing and cathartic, which forms the basis for Unpacking. In this serene puzzler, players follow an unnamed girl in different formative stages of her life.
Each time she settles into a new space, leaving her child’s room to move into seven successive houses, from a student dorm to her first boyfriend’s apartment, players unpack the personal belongings of this anonymous protagonist across twenty years.
Part home decoration, part home-fitting puzzler, Unpacking is a deeply satisfying tidy-em-up. This zen game with no timers or scores isn’t just about arranging bookshelves and stacking plates, though.
Over time, new items emerge while some are left behind, reflecting the passage of years in a gripping way. The soulful melodies crafted by BAFTA-awarded composer Jeff van Dyck only elevate the soothing intimacy of this emotional journey of growing up.
Stardew Valley
Enhanced by multiple expansions and updates, Stardew Valley is now replete with content. When you don’t grow crops and raise animals on your farmstead, you can befriend the residents of Pelican Town, go fishing on exotic islands, or roam around the valley to forage items.
But you can do all that and more at your own pace, with no need to rush your new country life. Plus, you can easily pour in hundreds of hours into that cozy farming sim and still discover new secrets, such as mysterious quest-giving characters turning up in the forest or a casino hidden in the desert.
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Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
The Animal Crossing franchise embodies the very essence of cosy gaming. New Horizons took the world by storm in 2020, ultimately becoming the second best-selling title on the Nintendo Switch with 45 million units sold.
If you don’t own Nintendo’s handheld console, you can still enjoy the series’ relaxing fun on your mobile device. Exclusive to Android and iOS platforms, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a free-to-play social sim that leaves you in charge of decorating your campsite.
Whether you create a bustling outdoor concert venue or a comfy open-air café, the choice is all yours. All you need to do is gather the necessary furniture to spruce up the place and bring new campers in from nearby recreational areas.
As the game works in real-time, numerous daily timed goals and special events happen regularly, ranging from scavenger hunts to fishing competitions. Missing one event is no big deal, since there is need to be a completionist to make the most of that wholesome ride.
